Interaction at Annual Day 2019

With over 120 participants, the Annual Day 2019 "Innovation by Inspiration" took place last Wednesday 19 June. The comprehensive program offered new insights during a plenary session, an innovation market and three rounds with various break-out sessions. A whole pallet of new insights for innovations within the own organization! During the Annual Day, illustrator Gertjan Kleijne translated the most important insights by drawing cartoons.

Leadership and 4th industrial revolution
After a warm welcome from Ronald Verbeek, managing director of the CIO Platform Netherlands, chairman Arthur Govaert took the audience through the developments regarding digital transformation and society, business and the role that we as CIO Platform Netherlands have. The boundaries between the physical, digital and biological worlds are blurring. Developments such as robotization, nanotechnology, biotechnology, 3D printing, virtual reality and the Internet of Things are making their appearance and will all accelerate this. With the only constant being the change. This is challenging and big and can be quite scary at the same time. It is therefore essential that CIOs guide the organizations through this 4th industrial revolution.

Act as an entrepreneur
Oscar Kneppers, known from, among others, Bright, Emerce and Rockstart, quickly took his audience into the world of innovative start-ups with the credo: "The promise of technology is the promise of .... we can make things better! "He told his story about trial and error as an entrepreneur, in good and bad times. Tip # 3: "Work on your business, not in it".

7 Learning points after Oscar left his last company:
1. Start with the end in mind Build it with intention & desire
2. Work on, not in the company
3. Know your "Best Before" date
4. Organize succession early
5. Beware or "The Wantrepreneur"
6. Stop taking yourself so seriously

He concluded his inspiring talk with mantras for start-ups. In which doing, learning, making mistakes, experiments, endurance are all recognized! 

Disruption by Innovation

Sjourd Wijdeveld, entrepreneurial CIO & Innovation & Bio Fuels responsible for SHV Energy, presented the strategic pillars of SHV Energy's digital agenda and how he gives substance to this in this international organization. Very valuable experiences were shared:

• Embracing innovations, both internal and external,
• Facilitating digital with new business models and
• Leaving the comfort zone to operationalize.

Sjourd explained that he balances between exploration and exploitation to be successful. Experience has shown that a different DNA and a different type of leadership is needed for these two phases. Finally, Sjourd emphasized that, as far as he is concerned, it is not about what name we give this leader: CIO, CTO, CDO with the I of Inspirator, Initiator or Technology-driven Innovation… .. but that it is about who takes the lead and has an impact! That is the leader of technologically driven innovation! Sjourds statement was received with applause.

Break-out sessions & innovation market
After the break, the participants could choose from a wide range of topics and join the various organizations that had prepared a break-out session. The innovation market offered knowledge and inspiration from ProRail (Automatic Train Operation), Heijmans (BeSense), IHC Holding (SEARCHLIGHT), Radboudumc (Smart Hospital) and Rabobank (Data for Food). In parallel, 3 rounds with breakout sessions were planned with contributions from: Schiphol, Shell, Port of Rotterdam, Rijkswaterstaat, Philips, PostNL, Oscar Kneppers and Randstad. 

ProRail at the innovation market with a virtual experience with the autopilot

Make your voice heard! 
In the wrap-up, artist Gertjan Kleijne shared his observations of the day through his cartoons to shows the variety of topics  a CIO has impact on. Underlying message: make your voice heard! Arthur, our chairman, had the last word. He emphasized how important and valuable it is to help each other - from the DNA of the members of the CIO Platform Netherlands - with innovation and digital transformation. And that we also present our learnings and experiences to the outside world, to accelerate the impact of digital. Meanwhile the bitterballen were served, the drinks were well deserved and a few hours later, after a delicious buffet and many (renewed) contacts, everyone went home again. We look back on a very successful Anniversary 2019 and look forward to the next edition of the Anniversary CIO Platform Netherlands in 2020!